


The End

by Lunarium



Series: Sheith New Years 2019 [7]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Friends to Lovers, Happy Ending, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Not Epilogue Compliant, Season 8, Sheith New Years, background allurance, quiet moments
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-08
Updated: 2019-01-08
Packaged: 2019-10-06 13:50:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17346362
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lunarium/pseuds/Lunarium
Summary: After the Allura Day dinner, Shiro and Keith take a stroll past a river, and Shiro proposes a special question to Keith.





	The End

**Author's Note:**

> For Sheith New Years Day 7: The Future. Ahhh, this was so fun and great to do, and a wonderful way to begin the new year! Thank you to the mods! <3 Couldn't help basing the title on Josh Keaton's infamous red/black NYCC shirt. XD 
> 
> Some lines are lifted from the companion piece [Chosen](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17316221). You're not required to read both to understand the story, but they are meant to be two stories happening around the same time and overlap at one point.

_And in the end  
The love you take  
Is equal to the love you make_  
"The End" - The Beatles 

_____________

 

“You almost gave it away back there,” Shiro chuckled. 

Keith’s apologetic glance contained a smile. They had been deep in conversation with the other paladins earlier at dinner, reminiscing over the past year. Although Keith and Shiro weren’t working side by side any longer with the others, they were still a team in some regards: Hunk and Lance collaborated on giving medical and food relief to needy planets, sometimes with Keith and Shiro’s involvement. Pidge was often busy back on Earth but she would occasionally help wherever she could. 

And as for Keith...he never left Shiro’s side. Shiro had no passion greater than exploring the stars, and finally Keith felt he could join him, a dream he had held since the days he counted down to seeing Shiro off at the Kerberos mission. Finally together. 

Keith smiled. So much had transpired since the Kerberos launch. Where they had once embraced on that fateful day, both anticipating and fearing this would be their final farewell, now it seemed fate had been on their side the entire time. By going on the mission, Shiro had become healed from his illness, they found Voltron, Keith found his family, they defended the universe against the greatest tyranny that ever lived, and healed some of the deepest wounds cast throughout the cosmos. 

Though it seemed at times they were fated to lose one another. Over and over they lost one another, but the universe always brought them back together. And for that, it was only fitting for them both to spend their days after the war rebuilding the universe and exploring the stars side by side: the Black Lion and the IGF-Atlas. 

At one point, Keith began to call his dearest friend by another name. The others hadn’t known, and Keith wanted to keep it a secret for the time being. Accidentally blurting it at dinner on the anniversary of their friend’s sacrifice was not the way he wanted them to find out. Especially not in front of Lance. Forget the old animosity; he knew the man still hurt over her and such an announcement would rub at the still-healing wound. Keith didn’t wish to leave such a sour note on anyone. It wouldn’t be fair to anyone: not Lance, not Allura, and definitely not Shiro.

Keith smiled softly at Shiro as he explained himself. The night air about them lifted with the very slightest hint of wind; it must have been late springtime on Altea, and the nights were fragrant with flowers blooming around in the fields around them and lilies swimming on the river they were currently walking past. The capital of Altea where the new Castle stood was of such pristine that they could stroll out barefoot.

“I got so used to saying it,” Keith explained, “I almost forgot the promise we made to keep quiet until it was time.”

“Yeah,” Shiro said lightly. “When do you think will be the best time?”

Keith shrugged. “On your birthday? Why? i s this something you’re worried about?”

Shiro chuckled as a patch of lilies floated by. He wrapped his arms about Keith. “I ponder about everything.” 

Keith melted in his arms; he recalled a few instances that would prove his point: Shiro cuddled up in their shared cabin, mumbling adorably and sleepily. “You do.”

They broke away at the passing of a shadow, but it was only a bird up ahead. Laughing at how easily startled they got, they resumed their stroll down the walkway. Keith marveled at the bird’s fine sleek plumage, wondering about its name. There were so many things he wished he could have asked Allura. 

They walked on in silence for some time before Shiro’s voice broke through the still night with a timid cough. 

“It’s really nice, what they did here,” he said, stammering through that one little line before clearing his throat. 

“Yeah.” Keith furrowed his brow. What was with the shift in Shiro’s tone? “Is everything okay?” 

“Yeah, yeah!” Shiro said unconvincingly. “I just…” 

A nervous chuckle followed. And then a warm hand settled on Keith’s shoulder. He turned around and studied Shiro’s face and eyes, noting the tiny fear, the excitement. 

“Keith?” Shiro asked softly. 

Keith offered him a little smile. “Yes, Takashi?” 

Shiro’s hand moved from Keith’s shoulder down his arm, cupping his hand in his own. As he spoke, the moon’s silvery glow fell on them. Shiro spoke of the day they had first met, how Keith’s friendship had kept him going in his time as prisoner on Zarkon’s ship, the emotion behind each word so raw Keith couldn’t help but lean forward, enraptured. Shiro spoke of returning, of waking up and seeing Keith there, learning of what Keith did to save him, and always finding him by his side. He spoke of dying, of the seemingly eternity spent in the Black Lion’s consciousness before he was saved, again, by Keith. 

On and on he went, till Keith’s heart swelled to the point of bursting; Shiro’s words, so heartfelt, so poignant. Shiro was near tears himself as he drew closer to the present. 

“I…cannot thank you enough, my dearest friend…” 

He held Keith’s hand tighter as he knelt on one knee. 

_Oh._

The moon’s silvery glow glimmered on the tears that ran down Keith’s cheeks, tracing around a big smile.

*

The roar of the lions averted their attention. Towards the front of the castle they all ran—Shiro, Keith, Hunk, Pidge, and Lance—and saw that the lions were all hovering above ground, where about just hours before they had been in front of Allura’s statue. There was something in the sight had brought the hair on their arms standing on end; instinctively, Shiro grabbed Keith’s shoulder.

When the Black Lion’s eyes glowed, Shiro gripped tightened for a moment before Keith felt his hand slip away; a moment later, and his hand gripped his. He held fast. Something odd was happening, and then—

And suddenly, his mind exploded with images, visions rushing into his mind, in all their minds—

_Allura._

Honerva, back with Allura in the Shared Consciousness, casting her out—Allura back in time, cloaking Altea and Daibazaal in a pocket of spacetime, hiding away the Blue Lion and giving clues for Keith— _for Keith!_ —before fusing into the Blue Lion herself, just as Shiro had once been inside the Black Lion’s consciousness before—

Shiro gasped. 

Keith felt the color drain from his face as everything began to make sense. 

_Allura…she was always with us?!_ Was that why he could sense the Blue Lion all those years ago? Was Allura the one sending him messages, ten thousand years ago, that Shiro would return from the Kerberos mission? 

_Holy crow…_

The Blue Lion’s jaws opened, and everyone watched in pure shock. 

“Oh, my God,” Shiro spoke so low but Keith still heard him. His gripped on Keith’s hand tightened even more. Keith’s heart nearly leapt from his chest as they watched a figure take shape in the Lion’s mouth, and then a moment later a woman wearing a long sapphire-blue dress—Allura!—fell out. Lance caught her.

Everyone continued watching, purely stunned, as the two lovers were reunited. The shock of it all—this was happening, this was really happening!—prevented anyone from speaking at first. 

“You’re right back in my arms,” Lance said softly as Allura groggily looked up around herself. 

Hunk and Pidge bawled as they embraced. 

“Princess!” Shiro managed before he dissolved into happy tears and collected Keith into arms. They squeezed one another, buried in one another’s comfort as Coran came rushing out to see what the commotion was. 

“Princess?” Coran gasped. “I— _how?_ ” 

Allura gave her full story, but hearing it from her own mouth—how much he missed her voice! Her accent!—brought them back to their senses. This was real. In a world where Shiro could return to life, where entire planets could spring back to existence, and entire realities could be saved after being destroyed: Allura too may return. A year in the making, or ten thousand years in the making as it may.

“Amazing,” Keith said lightly to himself, dabbing away at his eyes as Lance asked her more questions. 

The lions all roared before they shot up into the sky. They watched as they soared up as an Allura-shaped constellation sparkled among the night clouds. 

Allura straightened up, feeling a lot more strength than moments before, and regarded the sky. They watched with shared adoration as she studied the stars before turning her attention back to them. 

“I hope I wasn’t gone for too long?” she said. “Oh, it looks like Shiro and Keith have a special announcement for us!” 

She grinned brightly at them. 

Taken aback, Shiro and Keith broke away from their hug and laughed nervously as Hunk, Pidge, Lance, and Coran stared at them—Coran gasped loudly and pointed at their hands. 

Keith and Shiro shared a look and shrugged. 

“Well, no time like the present,” Shiro said and wrapped his arm around Keith. Together they showed off the rings on their fingers. 

Lance and Pidge gave little yells in delight while Hunk yelled, “I knew it!” 

“How long?” Pidge asked. 

“What do you mean?” Shiro responded. 

“How long have you two been engaged?” Lance clarified, staring. 

“About…an hour now?” Keith said, uncertain. 

Allura laughed heartily and clapped her hands together. “We absolutely must celebrate! Yes, _yes_ , now! In your pajamas! It’s wonderful to be alive again!”

*

Lunara sped down the hall until she saw two humans walking down the corridor. Her feet landed with a soft echo on the Atlas floor.

“Shirogane!” she called out. 

She still had so much to learn about humans, Lunara thought as she studied their backs. One was the admiral; that she could discern by his coat and the bars on his shoulder. And the other was in some sort of—armored suit? Space suit? White with red stripes—and without his helmet his hair bounced around his shoulders. 

_Oh. One of the paladins_ , she finally realized. The Lion Voltron crew were back operational after the princess had returned. She knew she should have paid attention in orientation; Cinda had warned her laziness would embarrass her. 

“Sirs! I come with a message from General Hawkins!” Lunara announced. “He’s sent me to speak with a Shirogane!” 

The two men stopped and turned around. 

_Handsome_ , she thought of them both. Young and glowing with life; any jitters over joining the Atlas crew ebbed. They seemed like a good group to work under. 

The admiral gave a laugh like silver as he placed an arm around the paladin’s shoulders, who folded his arms and regarded her with a small, polite smile; Lunara couldn’t help but feel better, seeing the mirth and happiness in the admiral’s eyes. If her new leader was this jolly…

“You’re in luck!” the admiral said brightly. “We are both a Shirogane and are happy to assist you!”


End file.
